Stocking.



N0. 69|,327. Patented Jan. [4, I902.

J. SHELTON.

STOCKING.

Applicatign filed Apr. 18, 1901.) (No Model.)

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THE scams 9ETERS (.0 warau'mq, wAsmNnmN, u. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE;

JAMES SHELTON, OF TOI/VANDA, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALE TO JAMESSHELTON, JR., OF TOWANDA, PENNSYLVANIA.

STOCKING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 691,327, dated January14, 1902.

Application filed April 18, 1901.

T0 at whom, it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JAMES SHELTON, a citizen of the United States, andai'resident of Towanda, Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvementsin Stockings, of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to produce in an ordinary machine forknitting'tubu-lar fabrics a shaped or fashioned stocking simulating whatis known as a full-fashioned stocking, but having a seamless heelinstead of the seamed heel in such full-fashioned stocking. hereinafterset forth, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 represents part of a stockingolank made in accordance withmyinvention; and Fig. 2 is a view representing the calf, ankle, and footportion of the stocking after the same has been completed.

The ordinary process of making what is termed a full-fashioned stockingby narrowing operations upon a fiat web, theedges of which are afterwardunited to form a stocking, is objectionable because of the slow andexpensive method of manufacture and because of the presence of a seam inthe heel portion of the stocking. that stockings of this character areusually made abroad, where labor is cheap, the stockings produced inthis country being almost entirely of the character known as,seam lessstockings-that is to say, those in which a heel and toe pockets areformed upon the knitted tube, the toe-pocket being subsequently closedby seaming together the courses of stitches at the end of the tube. Theobjection to this class of stockings is that the calf, ankle, and footportions of the same are not shaped or fashioned, a seamlessstockingbeing shaped by subjecting it to heat and pressure whilestretched upon a board or former of the desired contour, so that someportions of the knitted tube are stretched while others are not. Henceit does not retain its shape after being used and Washed. My inventionhas therefore been designed with the view of producing upon an ordinarymachine for making tubular fabric a shaped or fashioned stocking havinga seamless heel.

In carrying out my invention I first pro- This object I attain in themanner The consequence is Serial Nd. 56,443. (No model.)

duce upon the machine a tubular web, such as shown at 1 in Fig. 1 of thedrawings, ofva proper length for the leg of the stocking above the calf,and when this has been done 5; I

I change the knitting operation from roundand-round knitting toto-and-fro knitting, so

as to produce a fabric having opposite sel-.- vage edges, graduallynarrowing the fabric by dropping out needles at each end of the setuntil the shaped portion 2 has beeu'completed, proceeding then upon theremaining needles to form a straight portion 3, and then graduallybringing needles at the end of the set into action again,so as to widenthe fabric and produce the shaped portion 4 or narrowing and widening toproduce any other desired formation of this portion of the stocking-blank. When the fabric has been widened sufficiently to form theheel portion of the I blank, round-and-round. knitting is resumed untila tubular fabric 5 of sufficient length for the desired heel has beenproduced, whereupon to-and-fro knitting is again resumed and a narrowportion 6', straight portion 7,

and narrow portion 9 of selvage-edged web is produced or a selvage-edgedweb of other desired contour for the foot of the stocking results, thework when cast off of the needles of the machine presenting a course ofstitches at the end 10 of the blank.

In completing the stocking the selvageedged portions 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, and9 are united together by any available form of seaming or loopingmachine, so as to form the shaped .85:

portions 2, 3 4, 6, 7, and 9 of the stocking, as shown in Fig. 2, thetubular portion 5 of the blank forming the seamless heel 5 and thecourse of stitches at the end 10 of the blank being united bya seamingor loop- 0 ing machine, so as to close the toe by a transverse seam 10,the result being a stocking 'shaped as to calf, ankle, and foot inaccordance with any desired contour of these parts,

but having a heel without seam and therefore 5 free from this objectionto an ordinary fullfashioned stocking.

In some cases the shaping of the foot or of 1 both foot andankleportions of the -stocking may be effected by cutting a tubular weband then seaming together the out edges; but in such cases thetransverse toe-seam formed by uniting the course of stitches at this endof the blank will be retained, the square toe thusproduced without goreor seam at the side, together with the seamless heel, distinguishin g mystockiu g from previous stockings which have been shaped by cutting theweb.

Having thus described my invention, I

claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent-- 1. A stocking-blankhaving a shaped selvage-edged calf and ankle portion, tubular heelportion, and shaped selvage-edged foot portion, substantially asspecified.

2. A stocking-blank having a tubular leg portion, shaped selvage-edgedcalf and ankle portion, tubular heel portion, and shaped selvage-edgedfoot portion, substantially as specified.

' 3. A stocking havinga seamlessheel portion, and a calf, ankle and footportion composed of shaped selvage-edged webs-having said selvage edgesunited, substantially as specified.

4. A stocking having a seamless tubular leg portion, and seamless heelportion, and a calf, ankle and foot portion composed of shapedselvage-edged webs having said selvage edges united, substantially asspecified.

5. A stocking having a seamless heel portion, shaped calf, ankle andfoot portions consisting of fiat webs'having their edges united,

tion, calf, ankle and footportions formed by shaped selvage-edged webshaving their selvage'edges united, and a transverse toe-seam formed byunitinga course of stitches at the toe end of the web, substantially asspecified.

, 8. A stocking having a seamless tubular leg, a seamless heel portion,calf, ankleand foot portions formed by shaped selvage-edged Webs havingtheir selvage edges united, and a transverse toe-seam formed by unitinga course of stitches at the toe end of the web, substantially asspecified.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

JAMES SHELTON.

. Witnesses JAMES SHELToN, J r., HARRY T. INGHAM.

